A number of problems may be encountered in the making of cookies. The dough formation and baking steps can cause the cookies to become too hard and tough, or to contain off-flavors. The cookies may have insufficient flavor display and mouthmelt. Oil separation from the dough can also be a problem. Crumb-continuous dual-textured chocolate chip cookies frequently have appearance problems involving chocolate migration from the chips into the dough and excessive browning of the inner dough compared to the outer dough.
The emulsifier system of the present invention is meant to reduce the problems found in previous cookies involving texture, flavor, and appearance.
Several references describe the addition to baked goods of various emulsifiers. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,689,797, issued Sept. 21, 1954 to Joffe, discloses an emulsifier for yeast-leavened bread or dry shortenings comprising 0.1% to 1.0% diacetyl tartaric acid ester of monoglyceride, 0.05% to 1.5% monoglyceride, and polyglycerol esters.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,443,965, issued May 13, 1969 to Birnbaum, describes an emulsifier for use in baking yeast-raised products. The emulsifier comprises 30% distilled monoglyceride having an iodine value of about 40, 30% distilled monoglyceride having an iodine value of about 100, and 40% diacetyl tartaric acid ester of mono- or diglycerides.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,502,482, issued Mar. 24, 1970 to Birnbaum, discloses an emulsifier for yeast-raised baked goods (breads) comprising about 25% distilled monoglyceride, about 5% vegetable shortening, and about 1% diacetyl tartaric acid ester of monoglyceride.
Hutchinson et al., "Effect of Emulsifiers on the Texture of Cookies", J. Food Sci. 42, No. 2 (1977), disclose separately the effects on cookie texture of polyglycerol esters, diacetyl tartaric acid esters, and monoglycerides.
The use of diacetyl tartaric acid esters of monoglycerides in breads and other baked goods is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,216,829, issued Nov. 9, 1965 to Hansen.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,268,337, issued Aug. 23, 1966 to Howard et al., describes an emulsifier for cakes. The emulsifier has three components: an alpha-phase crystal-tending emulsifier (preferably diglycerides), a polyvalent metal ion salt, and a high temperature batter stabilizer such as diacetyl tartaric acid ester of monoglyceride.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,374,863, issued Feb. 22, 1983 to Savage, discloses a nonadherent dough composition for baked goods, comprising: (a) sugar; (b) flour; (c) shortening; (d) 15-60%, by weight of the shortening, of water; and (e) sufficient emulsifier active at dough mixing temperatures to render the dough shortening continuous.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,534, issued Nov. 23, 1982 to Brabbs et al., describes a method in which high emulsifier levels and fluid shortening in baked good dough provide a shortening-continuous dough system, which markedly enhances shortening transfer in the baked goods. The fluid shortening readily transfers from the dough to the flavor chips, making their texture desirably soft during storage.
None of these references discloses the use of the emulsifier system of the present invention in cookies or suggests the advantages obtainable thereby. It has now been found that the present emulsifier system promotes a tender texture in cookies and provides flexibility in work input during dough formation. In combination with a preferred shortening it improves the flavor display and mouthmelt of cookies. It reduces chocolate migration and excessive browning of inner dough. the emulsifier system also provides benefits in the areas of cookie density and dough stability.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an emulsifier system for cookies that provides a more tender texture, improves flavor release and mouthmelt, and reduces chocolate migration and excessive browning.
It is another object of this invention to provide an emulsifier system for use with a particular shortening in crumb-continuous, dual-textured, crisp and chewy cookies.
These and other objects of this invention will become apparent by the description of the invention below.
All percentages are by weight unless otherwise defined.